System and methods for mapping a network service path

ABSTRACT

Aspects of the present disclosure involve methods and systems for mapping network service paths between endpoint devices of a network. An aggregate network traffic database is used to store network traffic data retrieved from network devices of a network. A network service mapper then queries the database using endpoint device identifiers corresponding to endpoint devices to determine which network devices interacted with the endpoint devices during provisioning of previous network service instances. The set of network devices is then compared and analyzed to determine one or more network service paths between a pair of endpoint devices. In certain implementations, network architecture rules and/or network device configuration data is also analyzed to determine an order of the network devices along the one or more network service paths.

BACKGROUND

A telecommunications service provider establishes various communicationlinks across one or more networks and network clusters. For example, theservice provider configures and couples routing elements to generate acommunication link and extend network services to customer premiseequipment. A network service path defines the order or manner in whichdevices are mapped in the communication link from the customer premiseequipment to network elements of a telecommunications network.

It is with these observations in mind, among others, that variousaspects of the present disclosure were conceived and developed.

SUMMARY

One implementation of the present disclosure is directed to a method fordetermining network service paths between endpoint devices of a network.The method includes obtaining a first endpoint device identifierassociated with a first endpoint device. The first endpoint deviceidentifier is then used to query an aggregated network traffic database.The aggregated network traffic database stores traffic data associatedwith one or more network devices of the network including endpointdevice identifiers of endpoint devices that have interacted with thenetwork devices. In one embodiment, network traffic may include bothcustomer traffic and network discovery protocols (such as Link LayerDiscovery Protocol (lldp) and/or Cisco® Discovery Protocol (cdp)). Inresponse to the query, a set of candidate network devices that eachpreviously interacted with the first endpoint device is provided. Anetwork service path is then mapped between the first endpoint deviceand a second endpoint device, the network service path including atleast a subset of the first set of candidate network devices.

In another aspect of the present disclosure, a system for mappingnetwork service paths in a network is provided. The system includes anetwork service path mapper executed on a computing device and a networktraffic database in communication with the network service path mapper.The network traffic database is in communication with a network andaggregates network traffic data associated with each of a plurality ofnetwork devices in the network. The network service path mapper obtainsa first set of the network devices having previously interacted with afirst endpoint device by querying the network traffic database using afirst identifier associated with the first endpoint device. The networkservice path mapper then identifies at least one network service pathbetween the first endpoint device and a second endpoint device based, atleast in part, on the first set of the network devices.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the presentdisclosure set forth herein should be apparent from the followingdescription of particular embodiments of those inventive concepts, asillustrated in the accompanying drawings. The drawings depict onlytypical embodiments of the present disclosure and, therefore, are not tobe considered limiting in scope.

FIG. 1 illustrates a sample network architecture diagram, according toaspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 illustrates discovery of a network service path, according toaspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 illustrates mapping a network service path through multiplenetworks incorporating aspects of FIG. 2, according to aspects of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 4 illustrates one possible process flow for automated discovery andmapping of a network service path, according to aspects of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 5 illustrates an example of a computing system that may implementvarious services, systems, and methods discussed herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Aspects of the present disclosure include systems, methods, and devicesfor mapping a network service path/leg by (i) discovering devices of thenetwork service path; and (ii) determining the order of the deviceswithin the path. To do so, network traffic is analyzed to identifydevices of a network service path for provisioning a customer serviceinstance. Configuration data and predefined network architecture rulesare then accessed to determine the particular order of the devices alongthe network service path.

Conventionally, network service path mapping requires service providersto maintain an inventory of network devices and, more specifically,interfaces of the network devices. Each interface within the inventoryis generally assigned an interface description field and correspondinginterface attributes. The use of such inventories is limited in variousways. For example, equipment vendors often limit the size and/or formatof interface description fields. Moreover, reliable determination ofnetwork service paths depends on the accuracy of the inventory and, as aresult, whether network operators consistently and accurately update theinventory. Over time, inaccuracies can arise in the inventory, leadingto inaccurate or incomplete network service path determinations. Forexample, basic human error during data input into the inventory andfailure to properly report migration or modification of networkequipment (e.g., during system upgrades or in response to outages orequipment failures) can lead to an inaccurate or incomplete inventory.Any subsequent network path determinations based on such a flawedinventory can similarly be inaccurate or incomplete.

In contrast to relying on an inventory, network service path mappingsystems, methods, and devices according to the present disclosuredetermine network service paths based on actual network traffic. Todiscover devices of a network service path, a device identifier of anendpoint device (corresponding to a starting or finishing node of thenetwork service path) is used to interrogate the network. Specifically,the device identifier is used to query a database or otherwise conduct asearch for network elements that have interacted with the endpointdevice to provision a customer service instance. The database aggregatesnetwork traffic data from dynamic network tables associated withcandidate network elements of the network. The database is then used todetermine which, if any, of the network elements have interacted withthe endpoint device and, as a result, potentially form a part of anetwork service path associated with the endpoint device. In particular,the database is queried to determine whether the device identifier orattribute has been logged within any of the aggregated network traffictables. Where the device identifier is logged within network trafficdata associated with a certain network element, the network element maybe identified as forming a part of the network service path. In certainimplementations, matches between the device identifier and certainnetwork elements are filtered or sorted using a virtual local areanetwork (VLAN) identifier of a particular customer or customer serviceinstance. In general, a VLAN identifier is an identifier of a virtualnetwork that is inserted into a packet header for communications sharedon the virtual network in order to identify to which VLAN the packetbelongs. To the extent the VLAN identified is logged in the networktraffic data, it can be used to filter and further identify networkelements of the network service path.

In certain implementations, configuration data and predefined networkarchitecture rules regarding the interconnection of network elements areaccessed to determine the particular order of the network elements ofthe network service path. Specifically, each network element may have aparticular type, function, or other characteristic which defines apredetermined order or position of the network element within a networkservice path. Architectural rules may then be used to determine theorientation of the elements within a network service path. For example,where a network element of the network service path is identified as aparticular type of router, certain predefined architectural rules maydefine the specific orientation of the router within the network servicepath. The order of the network elements of the network service pathgenerally refers to the interconnection of the network elements and, asa result, may be defined by physical, logical, or a combination of bothphysical and logical relationships between network elements.

FIG. 1 illustrates a network environment 100 including network servicepath determination functionality according to this disclosure. Ingeneral, the network environment 100 provides for establishingcommunication sessions between network users and for providing one ormore network services to network users. For example, users of thenetwork 102 may communicate with each other through communicationdevices, including voice communications and video communications. Withspecific reference to FIG. 1, the environment 100 includes an IP network102, which may be provided by a wholesale network service provider.However, while the environment 100 of FIG. 1 shows a configuration usingthe IP network 102, it should be appreciated that portions of thenetwork may include non IP-based routing. For example, network 102 mayinclude devices utilizing time division multiplexing (TDM) or plain oldtelephone service (POTS) switching. In general, the network 102 of FIG.1 may include any communication network devices known or hereafterdeveloped.

The IP network 102 includes numerous network elements 154-160. Thenetwork elements 154-160 include, but are not limited to gateways,routers, and registrars, which enable communication and/or provideservices across the IP network 102. For example, the network elements154-160 facilitate interaction and communication between the IP network102 and other entities, such as one or more customer home or businesslocal area networks (LANs) 106. The IP network 102 may include anynumber of connected network elements, which are collective representedin FIG. 1 as a network 172.

Customer network 106 can include communication devices such as, but notlimited to, a personal computer 110 or a telephone connected to arouter/firewall 114. Although shown in FIG. 1 as a computer 110, thecommunication devices may include any type of communication device thatreceives a multimedia signal, such as an audio, video or web-basedsignal, and/or a data signal and presents the signal for use by a userof the communication device. The communication and networking componentsof the customer network 106 enable a user at the customer network 106 tocommunicate via the IP network 102 to other communication devices, suchas another customer network, such as a PSTN 126, and/or the Internet142. Components of the customer network 106 are typically home- orbusiness-based, but they can be relocated and may be designed for easyportability. For example, the communication device 110 may be a wireless(e.g., cellular) telephone, a smart phone, a tablet, or a portablelaptop computer. In some embodiments, multiple communication devices indiverse locations that are owned or operated by a particular entity orcustomer may be connected through the IP network 102.

The customer network 106 typically connects to the IP network 102 via aborder network 122, which may be provided by an Internet ServiceProvider (ISP). The border network 122 is typically provided andmaintained by a business or organization such as a local telephonecompany or cable company. The border network 122 may providenetwork/communication-related services to their customers. In contrast,a second communication device 120 accesses, and is accessed by, the IPnetwork 102 via a public switched telephone network (PSTN) 126 operatedby a local exchange carrier (LEC). Communication via any of the networkscan be wired, wireless, or any combination thereof. Additionally, theborder network 122 and PSTN 126 may communicate, in some embodiments,with the IP Network 102 through a media gateway device, a session bordercontroller (SBC) 130, or a provider edge device 132, 134. In oneembodiment, the communication devices may utilize the network toexchange communications and/or access content from a public network,such as the Internet 142. For ease of instruction, only threecommunication devices 110, 115, and 120 are shown communicating with theIP network 102; however, numerous such devices, and other devices, maybe connected with the network, which is equipped to handle multiplesimultaneous calls and/or other IP-based communications.

IP network 102 includes or is otherwise in communication with a servicepath mapping system 150. The service path mapping system 150 isconfigured to determine network service paths between endpoints of theIP network 102. For example, such endpoints may include provider edgedevices 132 and 134, session border controller 130, or any similardevice within the IP network 102. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, theIP network 102 includes an IP network computing device 170 that mayfunction as an endpoint.

To map service paths between endpoint devices, the service path mappingsystem 150 includes a network traffic database 152. The network trafficdatabase 152 aggregates and stores network traffic data from each thenetwork elements 154-160 and any other network elements that may beincluded in the network 172. For example, each of the network elements154-160 includes or is otherwise in communication with a respectivenetwork table 162-168. During operation, the network elements 154-160receive network traffic and generate and store records in the networktables 162-168 corresponding to the connections through which thenetwork traffic is received. More specifically, during provisioning of acustomer service instance, the network elements 154-160 are connectedeither directly or indirectly to endpoint devices corresponding to theorigination and destination of the customer service instance. Thenetwork tables 162-168 of the network elements 154-160 generally includemappings of addresses to ports and also historical data regardingconnections made via the network elements 154-160. For example, as partof provisioning a customer service instance from a first endpoint deviceto a second endpoint device, the network tables 162-168 include anetwork path originating from a first endpoint device for delivery to asecond endpoint device. When the network traffic is received andforwarded by one of the network elements 154-160, the network elementgenerates a record in its corresponding network table. The recordgenerally includes an identifier corresponding to the first endpointdevice and may further include additional details regarding the networktraffic including, but not limited to, an address of the origin device,a VLAN identifier associated with one or more of the first and secondendpoint devices, a device type associated with one or more of the firstand second endpoint devices, and other attributes of either of the firstand second endpoint devices.

The service path mapping system 150 is configured to periodicallyretrieve and store data from the network tables 162-168 in the networktraffic database 152. Accordingly, the network traffic database 152provides a centralized aggregation of the network traffic recorded byeach of the network elements 154-160. As described later in thisdisclosure in more detail, the service path mapping system 150determines network service paths based on the network traffic datastored in the network traffic database 152. For example, in certainimplementations, the service path mapping system 150 includes a networkservice path mapper 151 which may be implemented as a computing deviceconfigured to execute a network service path mapping application orsimilar set of instructions. During execution of the network servicepath mapping application, the network service path mapper 151 executes afirst query based on an identifier associated with the first endpointdevice to determine a first set of network elements of the IP network102 through which data originating from the first endpoint device haspassed. The network service path mapper 151 may then determine a secondset of network elements of the IP network 102 through which dataoriginating from the second endpoint device has passed and anintersection of the first set and the second set, thereby identifyingnetwork elements through which data has or is capable of beingtransmitted between the first and second endpoint devices. The processof identifying the network elements may be further facilitated byapplying one or more filtering operations based on characteristics ofthe network elements, such as their placement within a VLAN.

The previously described method generally identifies the networkelements disposed between the first and second endpoints in a networkservice path but does not necessarily establish their order along thenetwork service path. Accordingly, in certain implementations, theservice path mapping system 150 determines the order of network elementsbetween the first and second endpoints by one or more of analyzing dataassociated with each identified network element, applying business andnetwork architecture rules based on characteristics of the identifiednetwork elements, and the like. The order of the network elements may bebased on physical, logical, or a combination of physical and logicallocations of the network elements along the network service path.Accordingly, the service path mapping system 150 may include orotherwise have access to a secondary data source 180 containing data forestablishing the order of network devices along a network service path.In certain implementations the secondary data source 180 contains one ormore rules or rule sets regarding the architecture of the IP network102. Alternatively or in addition to rules and rule sets, the secondarydata source 180 may be a network device inventory or otherwise containcharacteristic information regarding network devices of the IP network102. In either case, the service path mapping system 150 may beconfigured to retrieve the rules or configuration data from thesecondary data source 180 and determine the order or relationshipbetween network devices based on the retrieved rules and configurationdata.

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of a network 200, which maycorrespond to a portion of the IP network 102 of FIG. 1. The network 200includes a first endpoint device 202, a second endpoint device 204, anddevices of a discovered network service path including a third device230, a fourth device 240, and a fifth device 250. The first end pointdevice 202 is assigned a device name 270 and includes a network elementat a provider edge (PE). The second endpoint device 204 includes managedcustomer premise equipment (MCPE) devices that extend network servicesto customer networks. In general, however, the first endpoint device 202and the second endpoint device 204 may be any networking device for useby the system 100 described above with relation to FIG. 1. Each of thethird device 230, the fourth device 240, and the fifth device 250 arenetwork devices along network service path(s) between the first endpointdevice 202 and the second endpoint device 204. Devices 230, 240, and 250may include, without limitation, one or more of a router, a switch, ametro core device, a metro aggregator device, and the like.

As shown in the example of FIG. 2, the device name 270 associated withthe first endpoint device 202 is a string of characters,“EP_DEVICE_001,” which corresponds to a terminal identifier (TID) of thefirst endpoint device 202. Use of the TID as the device name 270 isintended only as an example. In other implementations, the device name270 may be any string of characters. In certain implementations, thedevice name 270 includes information regarding a specific interfaceand/or sub-interface of the first endpoint device 202 that define aspecific customer service instance. For example, the first endpointdevice 202 includes an interface 272 (Ae11) having a sub-interface 274(1372) which define a specific customer service instance (Ae11.1372)that includes the interface 272 and the sub-interface 274. In certainimplementations, the first endpoint device 202 includes a linkaggregation group (LAG) that includes each interface, e.g., Ae11, andeach sub-interface, e.g., 1372, of the first endpoint device 202. TheLAG of the first endpoint device 202 may include additional interfaces,each of which may further include additional sub interfaces. The secondendpoint device 204 may include similar arrangements of interfaces,sub-interfaces, and the like, however, for simplicity, such details arenot included in FIG. 2.

The first endpoint device 202 is assigned a device identifier (device ID276) that is unique to the first endpoint device 202. For example, incertain implementations, the first endpoint device 202 iscross-referenced to a media access control (MAC) address 278 that isused as the unique device identifier. Similarly, the second endpointdevice 204 is also cross-referenced to a unique identifier (device ID286), which may also be an address, such as a MAC address 288, assignedto the second endpoint device 204. After provisioning of a customerservice along a network path service extending between the firstendpoint device 202 and the second endpoint device 204, each devicealong the network service path tracks data it receives and forwards. Forexample, network devices often include a MAC table or similar forwardingdatabase that stores data regarding interactions with other networkdevices. In the implementation of FIG. 2, the network devices 230, 240,and 250 include MAC tables 232, 242, and 252, respectively. The datastored within the MAC table or similar forwarding database oftenincludes an identifier corresponding to the origin of the data beinghandled by the network device. In the network 200, for example, datasent from the first endpoint device 202 to the second endpoint device204 would generate entries in MAC table 252 as well as one of MAC table232 and MAC table 242, based on which network device the data passedthrough. Similarly, data sent from the second endpoint device 204 to thefirst endpoint device 202 would generate entries in MAC table 252 aswell as one of MAC table 232 and MAC table 242. In either case, each MACtable entry includes the cross-reference to the device identifier of theoriginating endpoint device.

To perform network service path mapping, network traffic data stored inMAC tables, forwarding databases, and similar data sources of networkdevices within a network operated by a network service provider areaggregated into a collective or central database, such as the networktraffic database 152 of FIG. 1. As such, the collective databaseincludes information about different interactions between endpointdevices of the network and any network devices disposed between suchendpoint devices. In some embodiments, data extracted or accessed fromthe network devices may be normalized before populating the collectivedatabase such that the data stored in the collective database is in acommon and readily searchable format. The aggregated data is thenanalyzed to determine which network devices have interacted with pairsof endpoint devices, thereby identifying network devices included innetwork service paths between the pairs of endpoint devices.

FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of a network portion 300 including aservice path between endpoint devices of the network. The networkportion 300 includes a first endpoint device 302 and a second endpointdevice 310. Disposed between the first endpoint device 302 and thesecond endpoint device 310 are network devices 304, 306, and 308. Eachof the network devices 304, 306, and 308 includes one or more interfacesor ports. For example, the network device 304 includes a first interface312 and a second interface 322. Similarly, the network device 306includes interfaces 314 and 320 and the network device 308 includesinterfaces 316 and 318. In certain implementations, the first endpointdevice 302 includes a customer premise equipment device within orotherwise accessible to a customer network location and the secondendpoint device 310 includes a provider edge device or NID accessible toa service provider. It should be understood that in some embodiments thelocations of the first endpoint device 302 and the second endpointdevice 310 may be reversed (as compared to FIG. 2 which shows a provideredge device 204 as a top device/box).

Identifying the content and order of a network service path for acustomer service instance may including two main phases: (i) networkelement/device discovery, during which the totality of the devices ofthe network service path are discovered, and (ii) network element deviceordering, during which the specific order of the discovered networkdevices is ascertained. In certain implementations, network devicediscovery for a particular customer service instance may involve two-waydirectional discovery. In such implementations, identification ofnetwork path devices within the network service path 300 is firstconducted from the first endpoint device 302 to the second endpointdevice 310 in a first direction 350, and then from the second endpointdevice 310 to the first endpoint device 302 in a second direction 352.

Network devices generally include or are associated with a MAC table, aforwarding table, or similar table for recording network traffic. Duringoperation, entries are made in the MAC/forwarding table indicatingdevices with which the network device interacted during the operation ofthe given network service instance. For example, in the context of FIG.3, operation of a network service instance between the first endpointdevice 302 and the second endpoint device 310 would create entries inthe MAC/forwarding tables of each of the network path devices 304, 306,and 308. More specifically, each of the first endpoint device 302 andthe second endpoint device 310 are cross-referenced to a unique deviceidentifier, such as a MAC address. As data is communicated between thefirst endpoint device 302 and the second endpoint device 310, entriesare added to the network traffic tables including the unique identifierassociated with the endpoint device from which the communicationoriginated.

As an initial step in automated network path mapping methods accordingto this disclosure, the MAC/forwarding tables of network devices in oneor more networks between the first endpoint device 302 and the secondendpoint device 310 may be retrieved or otherwise accessed. The datafrom the retrieved MAC tables/forwarding tables may be normalized andaggregated within a collective searchable database 354. Accordingly, thedatabase 354 stores traffic forwarding data corresponding to candidatenetwork devices that may form a network service path between the firstendpoint device 302 and the second endpoint device 310.

To identify which of the candidate network devices actually form anetwork service path between the first endpoint device 302 and thesecond endpoint device 310, a network device discovery operation may beperformed. In certain implementations, the network device discoveryoperation involves performing device discovery in the first direction350 to identify a first set of devices, performing device discovery inthe second direction 352 to identify a second set of devices, anddetermining one or more network service paths based on any overlaps ofthe first and second sets of devices.

In the context of FIG. 3, network device discovery may first beperformed in the first direction 350, i.e., from the first endpointdevice 302 to the second endpoint device 310. To do so, the database 354is searched to identify interactions between the candidate networkdevices and the first endpoint device 302. In certain implementations,such searching is conducted by querying the database 354 using a MACaddress or similar identifier of the first endpoint device 302. By doingso, a first set of candidate network devices (which in the case of FIG.3 includes at least the network path devices 304, 306, and 308) thatpreviously interacted with the first endpoint device 302 duringoperation of one or more network service instances is obtained. Otherinput parameters for the search may include information specific to aparticular customer service instance, such as a VLAN identifier or othersuch parameter. More specifically, a customer MAC VLAN identifier forthe first endpoint device 302 may be used to filter the results of thefirst direction 350 to identify a specific subset of devices thatpreviously interacted with the first endpoint device 302.

Subsequently, network device discovery may be conducted in the seconddirection 352, i.e., from the second endpoint device 310 to the firstendpoint device 302. To do so, the database 354 is searched to identifyinteractions between the candidate network devices and the secondendpoint device 310. Similar to device discovery in the first direction350, such searching may be conducted by querying the database 354 usinga MAC address or similar identifier of the second endpoint device 310.By doing so, a second set of candidate network devices (which in thecase of FIG. 3 includes at least the network path devices 304, 306, and308) that previously interacted with the second endpoint device 310during operation of one or more network service instances is obtained.

The first and second set of candidate devices may then be compared toidentify the totality of common devices used in provisioning networkservice instances in the first direction 350 and the second direction352. Identifying the totality of common devices may also includecomparing parameters, such as VLAN identifiers, of the network devices.For example, in certain implementations the same network device may beassigned different VLAN identifiers when provisioning network servicesin the first direction 350 and in the second direction 352. Accordingly,comparison of the first and second set of candidate network devices mayfurther include comparison of other parameters associated with thenetwork devices. In the case of FIG. 3, for example, such comparisonwould identify each of network path devices 304, 306, and 308. Incertain implementations, the comparison provides a list of networkdevices disposed between the first endpoint device 302 and the secondendpoint device 310 and does not provide an order or similar structureof the identified. However, additional analysis, as described below inthe context of FIG. 4, may be performed to identify such relationshipsbetween the identified network devices.

After discovery of the network path devices between endpoint devices,the specific order of the network path devices may be ascertained. Incertain implementations, ordering of the network path devices includesthe application of one or more network architecture rules defining thephysical and/or logical arrangement of network elements. The networkarchitecture rules may include one or more logical tests that determinean interconnection within the network of a given network path devicealong a network path based on various parameters including, withoutlimitation, one or more of characteristics of the network path device,characteristics of a network or sub network in which the network pathdevice is located, and characteristics of other network devices(including other network path devices) within the same network or subnetwork as the network path device. For example, in certainimplementations, the order of network path devices may be determinedbased on the type of each network path device and a known networktopology that defines relationships between network devices based ontheir type.

In certain implementations, the order of network path devices mayfurther be ascertained based on configuration data associated with thenetwork path devices. Such configuration data may be obtained directlyfrom the network path devices or may be stored in a separate inventorysystem or database. For example, each network device may be cataloguedin an inventory database, each record of which including a uniqueidentifier associated with a particular network device andcharacteristics of that device. Such characteristics for a particularnetwork device may include, but are not limited to, how the networkdevice has been historically used, the type of network device, othernetwork devices to which the network device is coupled, and the like.For example, where a network device A is determined to form some part ofa network service path, an inventory database may be queried using theunique identifier corresponding to the network device A to determinenetwork device A's device type and where the network device A is orderedwithin similar network service paths. Based on this information, anestimated service path or order of the identified network elements maybe identified as a likely service path between endpoint devices.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating a method for determining a networkservice path between endpoint devices in a network. With reference toFIG. 3, the flow chart generally describes a method for determining anetwork service path between the first endpoint device 302 and thesecond endpoint device 310.

The method includes aggregating network traffic data from networkdevices into a searchable database, such as the database 354 of FIG. 3.More specifically, the database 354 is used to aggregate network trafficinformation corresponding to network service instances provisioned usingthe network devices in one or more networks or sub networks. Eachnetwork device from which traffic data is aggregated maintains a table,such as a MAC or forwarding table, that includes information regardingdevice interactions during provisioning of particular network serviceinstances. Such data may include an identifier of the origin device(i.e., the endpoint device) associated with the network serviceinstance. Accordingly, for network service instances originating fromthe first endpoint device 302, the unique identifier associated with thefirst endpoint device 302 may be used to identify each network deviceinvolved in the provision of such network service instances and, as aresult, a first set of network devices that may be included in a networkservice path between the first endpoint device 302 and the secondendpoint device 310.

To identify devices that have specifically interacted with the firstendpoint device 302, a first identifier corresponding to the firstendpoint device 302 is obtained (operation 404). The device identifiermay be associated with a service instance originating from the firstendpoint device 302 and may also be defined by a network interface orsub interface of the first endpoint device 302. The device identifiercorresponding to the first endpoint device 302 may then be used todiscover network devices that have interacted with the first endpointdevice 302 during provisioning of network service instances.Specifically, the first device identifier may be used as an inputparameter to query the database 354 (operation 406). In addition to thefirst device identifier, other attributes of customer service instances,such as one or more VLAN identifiers corresponding to virtual networksover which the customer service instance is provided, may also be usedto further narrow the results of querying the database 354. In responseto the query, the database 354 returns a first set of network devices(operation 408) that have interacted with the first endpoint device 302during provisioning of previous network service instances.

Subsequently, a second device identifier corresponding to the secondendpoint device 310 may also be obtained (operation 410) and used, atleast in part, to query the database 354 (operation 412). In response tothe query, a second set of network devices is obtained (operation 414),which includes network devices that have interacted with the secondendpoint device 310 during provisioning of previous network serviceinstances.

The first and second set of network devices may then be compared toidentify common network devices (operation 416). By doing so, networkdevices included in one or more network service paths between the firstendpoint device 302 and the second endpoint device 310 may beidentified. In addition to identifying network service path devices, themethod may further include determining a specific order of the networkservice path devices along the one or more network service paths. To doso, network architecture rules may be applied and/or configurationattributes of the network service path devices may be retrieved. Forexample, such information may include a network devices type, the typeor identity of network devices the network device may connect to, andhistorical use data of the network device. Based on the rules and/orconfiguration information, the relationship between the first endpointdevice 302, the second endpoint device 310, and the network service pathdevices may be determined, thereby mapping the network service path(s)between the first endpoint device 302 and the second endpoint device310.

FIG. 5 is an example schematic diagram of a computing system 500 thatmay implement various methodologies discussed herein. For example, thecomputing system 500 may comprise a computing device used to execute anetwork mapping application 570 to perform the network path discoveryfunctionality discussed herein. The computing system 500 includes a bus501 (i.e., interconnect), at least one processor 502 or other computingelement, at least one communication port 503, a main memory 504, aremovable storage media 505, a read-only memory 506, and a mass storagedevice 507. Processor(s) 502 can be any known processor, such as, butnot limited to, an Intel® Itanium® or Itanium 2® processor(s), AMD®Opteron® or Athlon MP® processor(s), or Motorola® lines of processors.Communication port 503 can be any of an RS-232 port for use with a modembased dial-up connection, a 10/100 Ethernet port, a Gigabit port usingcopper or fiber, or a USB port. Communication port(s) 503 may be chosendepending on a network such as a Local Area Network (LAN), a Wide AreaNetwork (WAN), or any network to which the computing system 500connects. Computing system 500 may further include a transport and/ortransit network 555, a display screen 560, an I/O port 540, and an inputdevice 545 such as a mouse or keyboard.

Main memory 504 can be Random Access Memory (RAM) or any other dynamicstorage device(s) commonly known in the art. Read-only memory 506 can beany static storage device(s) such as Programmable Read-Only Memory(PROM) chips for storing static information such as instructions forprocessor 502. Mass storage device 507 can be used to store informationand instructions. For example, hard disks such as the Adaptec® family ofSmall Computer Serial Interface (SCSI) drives, an optical disc, an arrayof disks such as Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID), such asthe Adaptec® family of RAID drives, or any other mass storage devices,may be used.

Bus 501 communicatively couples processor(s) 502 with the other memory,storage, and communications blocks. Bus 501 can be a PCI/PCI-X, SCSI, orUniversal Serial Bus (USB) based system bus (or other) depending on thestorage devices used. Removable storage media 505 can be any kind ofexternal hard drives, thumb drives, Compact Disc-Read Only Memory(CD-ROM), Compact Disc-Re-Writable (CD-RW), Digital Video Disk-Read OnlyMemory (DVD-ROM), etc.

Embodiments herein may be provided as a computer program product, whichmay include a machine-readable medium having stored thereon instructionswhich may be used to program a computer (or other electronic devices) toperform a process. The machine-readable medium may include, but is notlimited to optical discs, CD-ROMs, magneto-optical disks, ROMs, RAMs,erasable programmable read-only memories (EPROMs), electrically erasableprogrammable read-only memories (EEPROMs), magnetic or optical cards,flash memory, or other type of media/machine-readable medium suitablefor storing electronic instructions. Moreover, embodiments herein mayalso be downloaded as a computer program product, wherein the programmay be transferred from a remote computer to a requesting computer byway of data signals embodied in a carrier wave or other propagationmedium via a communication link (e.g., modem or network connection).

As shown, main memory 504 is encoded with a network mapping application570 that supports functionality as discussed above. The network mappingapplication 570 (and/or other resources as described herein) can beembodied as software code such as data and/or logic instructions (e.g.,code stored in the memory or on another computer readable medium such asa disk) that supports processing functionality according to differentembodiments described herein. During operation of one embodiment,processor(s) 502 accesses main memory 504 via the use of bus 501 inorder to launch, run, execute, interpret, or otherwise performprocesses, such as through logic instructions, executing on theprocessor 502 and based on the network mapping application 570 stored inmain memory or otherwise tangibly stored.

The description above includes example systems, methods, techniques,instruction sequences, and/or computer program products that embodytechniques of the present disclosure. However, it is understood that thedescribed disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. Inthe present disclosure, the methods disclosed may be implemented as setsof instructions or software readable by a device. Further, it isunderstood that the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the methodsdisclosed are instances of example approaches. Based upon designpreferences, it is understood that the specific order or hierarchy ofsteps in the method can be rearranged while remaining within thedisclosed subject matter. The accompanying method claims presentelements of the various steps in a sample order, and are not necessarilymeant to be limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented.

The described disclosure may be provided as a computer program product,or software, that may include a machine-readable medium having storedthereon instructions, which may be used to program a computer system (orother electronic devices) to perform a process according to the presentdisclosure. A machine-readable medium includes any mechanism for storinginformation in a form (e.g., software, processing application) readableby a machine (e.g., a computer). The machine-readable medium mayinclude, but is not limited to, magnetic storage medium, optical storagemedium (e.g., CD-ROM); magneto-optical storage medium, read only memory(ROM); random access memory (RAM); erasable programmable memory (e.g.,EPROM and EEPROM); flash memory; or other types of medium suitable forstoring electronic instructions.

It is believed that the present disclosure and many of its attendantadvantages should be understood by the foregoing description, and itshould be apparent that various changes may be made in the form,construction, and arrangement of the components without departing fromthe disclosed subject matter or without sacrificing all of its materialadvantages. The form described is merely explanatory, and it is theintention of the following claims to encompass and include such changes.

While the present disclosure has been described with reference tovarious embodiments, it should be understood that these embodiments areillustrative and that the scope of the disclosure is not limited tothem. Many variations, modifications, additions, and improvements arepossible. More generally, embodiments in accordance with the presentdisclosure have been described in the context of particularimplementations. Functionality may be separated or combined in blocksdifferently in various embodiments of the disclosure or described withdifferent terminology. These and other variations, modifications,additions, and improvements may fall within the scope of the disclosureas defined in the claims that follow.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of mapping network service paths betweenendpoint devices of a network, the method comprising: obtaining a firstendpoint device identifier associated with a first endpoint device;querying an aggregated network traffic database with the first endpointdevice identifier, wherein the aggregated network traffic databasestores traffic data associated with a plurality of network devices ofthe network and the traffic data includes endpoint device identifiers ofendpoint devices that have interacted with the plurality of networkdevices; receiving, in response to querying with the first endpointdevice identifier, a first set of candidate network devices, wherein thefirst set of candidate network devices includes network devices of theplurality of network devices that have interacted with the firstendpoint device; querying the aggregated network traffic database withrespect to a second endpoint device; receiving, in response to queryingwith respect to the second endpoint device, a second set of candidatenetwork devices, wherein the second set of candidate network devicesincludes network devices of the plurality of network devices that haveinteracted with the second endpoint device; and mapping at least onenetwork service path between the first endpoint device and a secondendpoint device, the at least one network service path including asubset of the network devices of the first set of candidate networkdevices, wherein mapping of the at least one network service pathcomprises determining common network devices of the first set ofcandidate network devices and the second set of candidate networkdevices and the at least one network service path includes at least oneof the common network devices.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein mappingthe at least one network service path comprises determining an order ofnetwork devices along the at least one network service path.
 3. Themethod of claim 2, wherein the order of network devices along the atleast one network service path is based on at least one of configurationdata of the network devices along the at least one network service pathand architectural rules corresponding to an interconnection of networkdevices within the network.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the firstendpoint device includes at least one of a customer premise equipmentdevice and a network interface device.
 5. The method of claim 1 furthercomprising: retrieving the traffic data from the plurality of networkdevices of the network; normalizing the traffic data; and storing thetraffic data in the aggregated network traffic database.
 6. The methodof claim 1, wherein: the first endpoint device identifier is a mediaaccess control (MAC) address associated with an interface of the firstendpoint device; and the traffic data is obtained from MAC tablescross-referenced with the one or more network devices.
 7. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the traffic data further includes a virtual local areanetwork (VLAN) identifier associated with the corresponding networkdevice, the method further comprising filtering the first set ofcandidate devices using the VLAN identifier.
 8. The method of claim 1,wherein the first endpoint device comprises a link aggregation group(LAG) and a plurality of sub-interfaces that collectively define aplurality of service instances and the endpoint device identifierassociated with one of the plurality of sub-interfaces.
 9. A system formapping network service paths in a network, the system comprising: anetwork service path mapper executed on a computing device; and anetwork traffic database in communication with the network service pathmapper and a plurality of network devices, the network traffic databaseaggregating network traffic data associated with each of the pluralityof network devices, wherein the network service path mapper isconfigured to: obtain a first set of the network devices havingpreviously interacted with a first endpoint device by querying thenetwork traffic database; obtain a second set of the network deviceshaving previously interacted with a second endpoint device by queryingthe network traffic database; and identify at least one network servicepath between the first endpoint device and the second endpoint devicebased, at least in part, on determining common network devices betweenthe first set of the network devices and the second set of the networkdevices.
 10. The system of claim 9 further comprising a secondary datasource in communication with the network service mapper, the secondarydata source containing device ordering data comprising at least one ofnetwork architecture rules and configuration data of the plurality ofnetwork devices.
 11. The system of claim 10, wherein the network servicepath mapper retrieves the device ordering data from the secondary datasource and determines an order of network devices along the at least onenetwork service path.
 12. The system of claim 9, wherein the networktraffic data is aggregated from at least one of MAC and forwardingtables associated with each of the plurality of network devices.
 13. Anon-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with instructions,executable by a processing device, for operating a component of atelecommunications network, the instructions, when executed by aprocessing device, cause the processing device to perform the operationsof: obtaining a first endpoint device identifier associated with a firstendpoint device; querying an aggregated network traffic database withthe first endpoint device identifier, wherein the aggregated networktraffic database stores traffic data associated with a plurality ofnetwork devices of the network and the traffic data includes endpointdevice identifiers of endpoint devices that have interacted with the aplurality of network devices; receiving, in response to querying withthe first endpoint device identifier, a first set of candidate networkdevices, wherein the first set of candidate network devices includesnetwork devices of the plurality of network devices that have interactedwith the first endpoint device; querying the aggregated network trafficdatabase with respect to a second endpoint device; receiving, inresponse to querying with respect to the second endpoint device, asecond set of candidate network devices, wherein the second set ofcandidate network devices includes network devices of the plurality ofnetwork devices that have interacted with the second endpoint device;and mapping at least one network service path between the first endpointdevice and a second endpoint device, the at least one network servicepath including network devices of the first set of candidate networkdevices, wherein mapping of the at least one network service pathcomprises determining common network devices of the first set ofcandidate network devices and the second set of candidate networkdevices and the at least one network service path includes at least oneof the common network devices.
 14. The non-transitory computer-readablemedium of claim 13 wherein the instructions further cause the processingdevice to perform the operation of determining an order of networkdevices along the at least one network service path.
 15. Thenon-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the firstendpoint device identifier is a media access control (MAC) addresscross-referenced to an interface of the first endpoint device and thetraffic data is obtained from MAC tables associated with the pluralityof network devices.